Macron

Constitutional council says curbs infringe freedom of expression and privacy as president vows to rework legislationFrance’s top court has blocked a ban on social media access for under-15s, ruling that it infringed freedom of expression and privacy.The decision is a blow to President Emmanuel Macron as momentum builds around the world for Australian-style restrictions on children’s use of social media. Continue reading...

• President Emmanuel Macron ordered the French military to mobilize on Friday to combat "unprecedented" wildfires sweeping through southwest France. • The blazes have already threatened several villages and are currently advancing toward the city of Bordeaux. • Simultaneously, tens of thousands of residents in Spain's Madrid region were ordered to evacuate as major wildfires threatened a suburban town west of the capital.

French president hosts ‘coalition of the willing’ in Paris amid hopes that Ukraine’s recent advances could force Putin towards negotiationsFrench president Emmanuel Macron is going to host the Coalition of the Willing in Paris later today amid hopes that Ukraine’s recent advances in strikes on Russia could force Vladimir Putin to a negotiating table.The meeting at the Hôtel des Invalides – hosted just before Bastille Day – will bring together over 20 European leaders for further talks on how to help Kyiv and put more pressure on Moscow. Continue reading...

Blasts did not interrupt French president’s visit but are setback for Syrian leaders’ attempt to project stabilityExplosions rocked Damascus near the hotel where French president, Emmanuel Macron, was staying on Tuesday, wounding at least 18 people, Syrian authorities said.Macron was in the presidential palace for a meeting with the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, when two improvised explosive devices detonated near the Four Seasons hotel where Macron was reported to be staying. Continue reading...

• President Emmanuel Macron announced that the French navy intercepted a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker off the coast of Sicily. • This operation is part of a broader effort by France and Britain to intensify sanctions and disrupt the clandestine shipping networks used by Russia to export oil. • The action matters as Western allies seek to tighten the economic blockade on Russia to limit its ability to fund the ongoing war in Ukraine.

More than half of France’s population under severe weather warning with temperatures expected to exceed 40CMore than half of France’s population is under a severe weather warning as large swathes of western Europe endure the second extreme heat event of the year with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F).The French president, Emmanuel Macron, called for “extreme vigilance from everyone”, asking citizens to “take care of our oldest and most vulnerable people” and follow government advice. “We are going through difficult days,” he said. Continue reading...

• President Emmanuel Macron is pursuing a strategic shift to transform France's independent nuclear deterrent into a broader "European dimension" security framework. • Eight NATO members, including Germany, Poland, the UK, and Sweden, have already signed on to support this initiative. • The move aims to strengthen European strategic autonomy and collective defense capabilities amidst growing geopolitical instability.